Currently browsing - GPs

Posted at May 19, 2016, by Raleigh Addington, Comments Off on Economist Jim O’Neill presents final international recommendations to defeat superbugs

A global review on antimicrobial resistance, led by economist Lord Jim O’Neill, has set out its final recommendations, providing a comprehensive action plan for the world to prevent drug-resistant infections and defeat the rising threat of superbugs – estimated to save the global health bill $100tn a year by the year 2050, if the problem is left to rise unchecked.

International recommendations offered by the report are greater global awareness, the end of antibiotics use in animals – or better labelling so consumers are made aware of the risks – and dedicated funding supplied by pharmaceutical companies in developing new drugs to replace existing ones that are no longer effective. The report’s release met with strong objections claiming that it fails to show how treating such a global health problem should be collaborative and not left to pharma companies to fund and solve alone.

Lastly, it asserts that GPs need better tools to diagnose patients faster and more accurately to distinguish bacterial from viral infections, before they can prescribe antibiotics. No tests currently exist to tell if symptoms are caused by bacteria rather than a virus, often meaning that antibiotics are administered inappropriately.

Office Contacts

follow us

We use Cookies.

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our website, to show you personalized content and targeted ads, to analyze our website traffic, and to understand where our visitors are coming from. By browsing our website, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.